953 英翻中 (653) The Ecclesiastes (三) 傳道書(三) 01/03/2025
CHAPTER TWO Ecclesiastes 1:4–18 LIVING IN CIRCLES 第二章 傳道書 1:4-18 生活在逗圈子裡
Everything an Indian does is in a circle,” said Black Elk, the Sioux religious leader. “Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood.…” 蘇族宗教領袖黑麋鹿說道, "印第安人所做的一切都是在逗圈子, 即使是季節的變化. 也會形成一個大循環,並且總是會回到原來的位置。人的一生是從童年到童年的一個循環…" You would think Black Elk had been studying the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, except for one fact: for centuries, wise men and women in different nations and cultures have been pondering the mysteries of the “circles” of human life. Whenever you use phrases like “life cycle,” or “the wheel of fortune,” or “come full circle,” you are joining Solomon and Black Elk and a host of others in taking a cyclical view of life and nature. 你可能會認為黑麋鹿一直在研究《傳道書》第一章,但有一個事實除外:幾個世紀以來,在不同國家和文化的智慧男女都在人類生活圈內打轉。每當你使用「生命週期」、「幸福之輪」或「回到原點」等短語時,你就加入了所羅門和黑麋鹿以及其他許多其他人的行列,對生命和自然採取了逗圈子的觀點。 But this “cyclical” view of life was a burden to Solomon. For if life is only part of a great cycle over which we have no control, is life worth living? If this cycle is repeated season after season, century after century, why are we unable to understand it and explain it? Solomon pondered these questions as he looked at the cycle of life “under the sun,” and he came to three bleak conclusions: nothing is changed (1:4–7), nothing is new (1:8–11), and nothing is understood (1:12–18). 但這種「循環」的人生觀,對所羅門來說是一種負擔。因為如果生命只是我們無法控制的逗圈子的一部分,生命還值得過嗎?如果這個循環一季又一季、一個世紀又一個世紀地重複著,為什麼我們無法理解和解釋它呢? 所羅門在審視「日光之下」的生命循環時思考了這些問題,並得出了三個慘淡的結論:沒有任何改變(1:4-7),沒有什麼是新的(1:8-11) ,也沒有什麼是可以理解的(1:12-18)。
Nothing Is Changed (1:4–7) 一切都沒有改變 (1:4-7) In this section, Solomon approached the problem as a scientist and examined the “wheel of nature” around him: the earth, the sun, the wind, and the water. (This reminds us of the ancient “elements” of earth, air, fire, and water.) He was struck by the fact that generations of people came and went, while the things of nature remained. There was “change” all around, yet nothing really changed. Everything was only part of the “wheel of nature” and contributed to the monotony of life. So, Solomon asked, “Is life worth living?” 在本節中,所羅門以科學家的身份解決了這個問題,並檢查了他周圍的「自然之輪」:地球、太陽、風和水。 (這讓我們想起了古老的土、空氣、火和水的「元素」。)令他震驚的是,世世代代的人們來了又去,而自然界的事物卻依然存在。到處都有“變化”,但什麼也沒有真正改變。一切都只是「自然之輪」的一部分,加劇了生活的單調。因此,所羅門問道:“生命值得過嗎?” Solomon presented four pieces of evidence to prove that nothing really changes. 在本節中,所羅門以科學家的身份解決了這個問題,並檢查了他周圍的「自然之輪」:地球、太陽、風和水。 (這讓我們想起了古老的土、空氣、火和水的「元素」。)令他震驚的是,世世代代的人們來了又去,而自然界的事物卻依然存在。到處都有“變化”,但什麼也沒有真正改變。一切都只是「自然之輪」的一部分,加劇了生活的單調。因此,所羅門問道:“生命值得過嗎?” The earth (v. 4). From the human point of view, nothing seems more permanent and durable than the planet on which we live. When we say that something is “as sure as the world,” we are echoing Solomon’s confidence in the permanence of planet Earth. With all of its diversity, nature is uniform enough in its operation that we can discover its “laws” and put them to work for us. In fact, it is this “dependability” that is the basis for modern science. 地球(4節)。從人類的角度來看,沒有什麼比我們所處的星球更永恆、更持久的了。當我們說某件事「與世界一樣確定」時,我們是在呼應所羅門對地球永恆的信心。儘管大自然具有多樣性,但它的運作卻足夠統一,我們可以發現它的“法則”,並讓它們為我們所用。事實上,正是這種「可靠性」才是現代科學的基礎。 Nature is permanent, but man is transient, a mere pilgrim on earth. His pilgrimage is a brief one, for death finally claims him. At the very beginning of his book, Solomon introduced a topic frequently mentioned in Ecclesiastes: the brevity of life and the certainty of death. 自然是永恆的,人卻是短暫的,只是地球上的朝聖者。他的朝聖之旅很短暫,因為死亡最終奪走了他的生命。所羅門在書的一開始就引入了傳道書中經常提到的一個主題:生命的短暫和死亡的確定性。 Individuals and families come and go, nations and empires rise and fall, but nothing changes, for the world remains the same. Thomas Carlyle called history “a mighty drama, enacted upon the theater of time, with suns for lamps and eternity for a background.” Solomon would add that the costumes and sets may occasionally change, but the actors and the script remain pretty much the same; and that’s as sure as the world. 個人和家庭來來去去,國家和帝國興衰,但一切都沒有改變,因為世界保持不變。湯瑪斯·卡萊爾稱歷史為「一場偉大的戲劇,在時間的劇場上演,以太陽為燈,以永恆為背景」。所羅門補充說,服裝和佈景可能偶爾會改變,但演員和劇本幾乎保持不變;這和世界一樣確定。 The sun (v. 5). We move now from the cycle of birth and death on earth to the cycle of day and night in the heavens. “As sure as the world!” is replaced by “As certain as night follows day!” Solomon pictures the sun rising in the east and “panting” (literal translation) its way across the sky in pursuit of the western horizon. But what does it accomplish by this daily journey? To what purpose is all this motion and heat? As far as the heavens are concerned, one day is just like another, and the heavens remain the same. 陽光(5節)。我們現在從地球上的生死循環轉向天上的晝夜循環。 “和世界一樣確定!”被替換為“就像白天之後黑夜一樣確定!”所羅門想像太陽從東方升起,「氣喘吁籲」(直譯)穿過天空,追尋西方地平線。但這個日常旅程能實現什麼目標呢?所有這些運動和熱量的目的是什麼?就諸天而言,一日如一日,諸天依舊。 The wind (v. 6). From the visible east-west movement of the sun, Solomon turned to the invisible north-south movement of the wind. He was not giving a lecture on the physics of wind. Rather, he was stating that the wind is in constant motion, following “circuits” that man cannot fully understand or chart. “The wind blows where it wishes,” our Lord said to Nicodemus, “and you … cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes” (John 3:8 nkjv). 風(6節)。所羅門從可見的太陽的東西向運動轉向了看不見的風的南北運動。他不是在講風物理學。相反,他是在說風在不斷移動,遵循人類無法完全理解或繪製的「循環」。 「風隨意思吹,」我們的主對尼哥底母說,「你…不能分辨風從哪裡來,往哪裡去」(約翰福音 3:8 NKJV)。 Solomon’s point is this: the wind is constantly moving and changing directions, and yet it is still—the wind! We hear it and feel it, and we see what it does, but over the centuries, the wind has not changed its cycles or circuits. Man comes and goes, but the changeless wind goes on forever. 所羅門的觀點是:風不斷地移動和改變方向,但它仍然是 — 風!我們聽到它、感覺到它、看到它的作用,但幾個世紀以來,風並沒有改變它的週期或迴路。人來了又走,但風的變化卻永遠持續下去。 The sea (v. 7). Solomon described here the “water cycle” that helps to sustain life on our planet. Scientists tell us that, at any given time, 97 percent of all the water on earth is in the oceans, and only .0001 percent is in the atmosphere, available for rain. (That’s enough for about ten days of rain.) The cooperation of the sun and the wind makes possible the evaporation and movement of moisture, and this keeps the water “circulating.” But the sea never changes! The rivers and the rains pour water into the seas, but the seas remain the same. 海(7節)。所羅門在此描述了有助於維持地球生命的「水循環」。科學家告訴我們,在任何特定時間,地球上 97% 的水都存在於海洋中,只有 0.0001% 存在於大氣中,可用於降雨。 (這足以下十天左右的雨。) 陽光和風的配合使水分得以蒸發和移動,從而使水保持「循環」。但大海永遠不會改變!河流和雨水將水注入海洋,但海洋保持不變。 So, whether we look at the earth or the heavens, the winds or the waters, we come to the same conclusion: nature does not change. There is motion but not promotion. No wonder Solomon cites the monotony of life as his first argument to prove that life is not worth living (1:4–11). 因此,無論我們看地球或天空,無論風或水,我們都會得出同樣的結論:大自然不會改變。有運動但不促進運動。難怪所羅門引用生活的單調作為他的第一個論點來證明生活不值得過(1:4-11)。 All of this is true only if you look at life “under the sun” and leave God out of the picture. Then the world becomes a closed system that is uniform, predictable, unchangeable. It becomes a world where there are no answers to prayer and no miracles, for nothing can interrupt the cycle of nature. If there is a God in this kind of a world, He cannot act on our behalf because He is imprisoned within the “laws of nature” that cannot be suspended. 只有當你審視「日光之下」的生活並將上帝排除在外時,這一切才是正確的。然後世界就變成了一個統一的、可預測的、不可改變的封閉系統。它變成了一個祈禱得不到回應、也沒有奇蹟的世界,因為沒有任何東西可以中斷自然的循環。如果在這樣的世界中存在上帝,他也無法代表我們行事,因為他被囚禁在無法懸置的「自然法則」之中。 However, God does break into nature to do great and wonderful things! He does hear and answer prayer and work on behalf of His people. He held the sun in place so Joshua could finish an important battle (Josh. 10:6–14), and He moved the sun back as a sign to King Hezekiah (Isa. 38:1–8). He opened the Red Sea and the Jordan River for Israel (Ex. 14; Josh. 3—4). He “turned off” the rain for Elijah (1 Kings 17) and then “turned it on” again (James 5:17–18). He calmed the wind and the waves for the disciples (Mark 4:35–41), and in the future, will use the forces of nature to bring terror and judgment to people on the earth (see Rev. 6ff.). 然而,上帝確實闖入大自然,做了偉大而奇妙的事!他確實聽並回應祈禱,並代表他的子民開展工作。他將太陽固定在適當的位置,以便約書亞能夠完成一場重要的戰鬥(約書亞記10:6-14),並且他將太陽移回原來的位置,作為向希西家王發出的信號(以賽亞書38:1-8)。他為以色列人開了紅海和約旦河(出埃及記 14;書 3-4)。他為以利亞「停了」雨(列王紀上 17 章),然後又「重新開雨」(雅各書 5:17-18)。他為門徒平息了風浪(馬可福音4:35-41),並且在未來,他將利用自然的力量給地上的人們帶來恐懼和審判(參考啟示錄6ff.)。 When, by faith, you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, and God becomes your heavenly Father, you no longer live in a “closed system” of endless monotonous cycles. You can gladly sing, “This is my Father’s world!” and know that He will meet your every need as you trust Him (Matt. 6:25–34). Christians live in this world as pilgrims, not prisoners, and therefore they are joyful and confident. 當你憑著信心接受耶穌基督為你的救主,神成為你的天父時,你就不再活在一個無限單調循環的「封閉系統」中。你可以高興地唱:“這是我父親的世界!”並且知道當你信任祂時,祂會滿足你一切的需要(太 6:25-34)。基督徒生活在這個世界上是作為朝聖者,而不是囚犯,因此他們是喜樂和自信的。
Nothing Is New (1:8–11) 沒有什麼是新的(1:8-11)
If nothing changes, then it is reasonable to conclude that nothing in this world is new. This “logical conclusion” might have satisfied people in Solomon’s day, but it startles us today. After all, we are surrounded by, and dependent on, a multitude of marvels that modern science has provided for us—everything from telephones to pacemakers and miracle drugs. How could anybody who watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon agree with Solomon that nothing is new under the sun? 如果沒有什麼改變,那麼就可以合理地得出結論:這個世界上沒有什麼是新的。這個「邏輯結論」可能會讓所羅門時代的人們感到滿意,但今天卻讓我們大吃一驚。畢竟,我們被現代科學為我們提供的眾多奇蹟所包圍並依賴它們 — 從電話到起搏器和神奇藥物的一切。看過尼爾阿姆斯壯在月球上行走的人怎麼會同意所羅門的觀點:在陽光之下沒有什麼新鮮事? In this discussion, Solomon stopped being a scientist and became a historian. Let’s follow the steps in his reasoning. 在這次討論中,所羅門不再是科學家,而是歷史學家。讓我們跟隨祂的推理步驟。 Man wants something new (v. 8). Why? Because everything in this world ultimately brings weariness, and people long for something to distract them or deliver them. They are like the Athenians in Paul’s day, spending their time “in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21). But even while they are speaking, seeing, and hearing these “new things,” they are still dissatisfied with life and will do almost anything to find some escape. Of course, the entertainment industry is grateful for this human hunger for novelty and takes advantage of it at great profit. 人想要新的東西(8節)。為什麼?因為這個世界上的一切最終都會帶來疲倦,人們渴望有一些東西可以分散他們的注意力或釋放他們。他們就像保羅時代的雅典人一樣,「不顧別的事,只去講述新事,或聽新事」(使徒行傳 17:21)。但即使他們在談論、看到和聽到這些“新事物”,他們仍然對生活不滿意,並且會做幾乎任何事情來尋找逃避。當然,娛樂業很感激人類對新奇事物的渴望,並利用它獲得了巨大的利潤。 In Ecclesiastes 3:11, Solomon explains why men and women are not satisfied with life: God has put “eternity in their heart” (niv, nasb, nkjv) and nobody can find peace and satisfaction apart from Him. “Thou hast made us for Thyself,” prayed St. Augustine, “and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.” The eye cannot be satisfied until it sees the hand of God, and the ear cannot be satisfied until it hears the voice of God. We must respond by faith to our Lord’s invitation, “Come unto me … and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). 在傳道書 3:11 中,所羅門解釋了為什麼男人和女人對生活不滿意:上帝已將「永恆放在他們心裡」(niv, nasb, nkjv),除了他,沒有人能找到平安和滿足。 “你為自己創造了我們,”聖奧古斯丁祈禱道,“我們的心在安息於你之前是焦躁不安的。”眼睛若不看見上帝的手,就無法得到滿足;耳朵除非聽到上帝的聲音,就無法滿足。 我們必須憑信心回應主的邀請:「到我這裡來…我就使你們得安息」(太 11:28)。 The world provides nothing new (vv. 9–10). Dr. H. A. Ironside, longtime pastor of Chicago’s Moody Church, used to say, “If it’s new, it’s not true; and if it’s true, it’s not new.” Whatever is new is simply a recombination of the old. Man cannot “create” anything new because man is the creature, not the Creator. “That which hath been is now, and that which is to be hath already been” (3:15). Thomas Alva Edison, one of the world’s greatest inventors, said that his inventions were only “bringing out the secrets of nature and applying them for the happiness of mankind.” 世界並沒有提供任何新東西(9-10節)。芝加哥慕迪教會的長期牧師H.A. 艾恩賽德(H. A. Ironside)博士曾經說過,「如果它是新的,那它就不是真的;若如果它是新的,那它就不是真的;」如果是真的,那麼這它就不是什麼新鮮事了。任何新事物都只是舊事物的重組。人無法「創造」任何新事物,因為人是受造物,而不是造物主。 「已有的事現在是,將來的事已經有了」(3:15)。世界上最偉大的發明家之一托馬斯·阿爾瓦·愛迪生(Thomas Alva Edison)說,"他的發明只是「揭發大自然的秘密,並將其應用於造福人類 」。 Only God can create new things, and He begins by making sinners “new creatures” when they trust Jesus Christ to save them (2 Cor. 5:17). Then they can walk “in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), sing a “new song” (Ps. 40:3), and enter into God’s presence by a “new and living way” (Heb. 10:20). One day, they will enjoy “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1) when God says, “Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). 只有上帝才能創造新事物,當罪人相信耶穌基督來拯救他們時,祂首先創造他們為「新造的人」(哥林多後書 5:17)。然後他們就能「以新的生命行事」(羅馬書6:4),唱「新歌」(詩篇40:3),並透過一條「又新又活的路」(來1:3)進入上帝的面前。有一天,當神說:「看哪,我將一切都更新了」(啟 21:5)時,他們將享受「新天新地」(啟 21:1)。